Delirium Review: “Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1)

As Lena starts to develop actual feelings for a member of the opposite sex (not related to her – although she doesn’t seem particularly fond of her brother-in-law, or her sister for that matter) for the first time, she breaks out of this fog that the government has lured the populace into by perpetuating a false sense of self-control. Lena grew up believing that love was a terrible thing. A thing that would stand in the way of her becoming a productive member of society. In actuality, there are clearly functioning citizens who exercised their civil liberties and are fairing just fine. Mounting a rebellion, after all, takes a certain amount of focus.

On the periphery, there are a couple other relationships that begin to take shape and would have presumably become important as the series developed. There’s the former romance between the head of the medical facility that administers the drug and a government official considering a run for president. This relationship caught me a little off guard, but makes perfect sense in the overall scheme of things. These two were clearly denied a fair shot at love, and now they’re going to make sure that no one else gets that chance (although it’s probably a bit more complicated than that). The more interesting pairing, however, is the adolescent attraction between Hana and Julian (Gregg Sulkin). Fundamentally, they both believe in the cure, but as they explore their strange connection, it may not be that way for long.

The casting for Delirium is spot on in terms of chemistry. The interactions between the characters appears to be very natural. Lena and Alex, in particular, seem comfortable in scenes in which they appear together. And frankly, Emma Roberts shines in this very age appropriate role. She has a broad range – which should be fairly obvious to anyone who tuned in for American Horror Story: Coven – but she definitely brings this character to life in all the right ways.

FOX may have passed on this series, but overall, it shows a lot of potential right off the bat. It doesn’t seem like something that would compliment their existing line-up, but on a network geared more toward younger viewers it would no doubt find an audience. Delirium has all the makings of a hit teen drama, and hopefully someone will take advantage of this preexisting package, work out the kinks, and give it a second chance.